Teagan

“My fucking gun is jammed, Callen,” a feminine voice complains after a door slams.

“If you carry it and use it as much as you fucking do, then you’d better damn well know how to fix that issue. Shouldn’t you?” a man answers with a cocky drawl.

I run to the front door of the rented home because I’ve waited hours for some kind of news. I sidestep the two familiar people in my way and jump straight into Burke’s arms like I did when I was a little girl, not giving a fuck if I’m entirely too old to be carried by my big brother.

“How is he? Is he okay?”

“What the fuck about me? Callen just made me eat dirt. Where is your concern for me?” Burke hugs me tightly, not letting my feet touch the ground.

“You’re here. Kai purposely flipped his car for this little plan, and it’s been radio silence for me since our phone connection died. How is he, Burke?”

“He’s a motherfucking hero, Teagan. Of course he’s okay. A bit banged up, but it would take a lot more than a car going off the road to kill Kai Grant.”

Relief massages into my shoulders, and my muscles finally unclench.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too, Burke.” I squeeze his neck just a little tighter, and he chuckles against my ear.

“My life was never in any danger. I was just giving you a hard time. Callen could never have taken me down for real. I would have had him crying in front of his crazy gun-toting girlfriend if it wasn’t another part of Paisley’s crazy plan.”

Burke releases his hold on me, and I jump down from his arms.

Rylan Pierce, still the same girl I remember from high school but also so vastly different, leans against the counter, cleaning a gun, assumingly the one she was complaining about being jammed when she came in.

Rylan’s attention is aimed at my brother. “You’re tough, at least around here, but if my man and I were coming after you, you’d go down to your knees, just like they all do.”

Burke looks her over. “There is only one woman I’d get down on my knees for, and it isn’t you, princess,” Burke fires back.

“Is that right? It seems to me that it’s always Callen bailing you out. So, maybe all the time you’ve spent on your knees in front of your girl has made you soft.”

My eyebrows pull as my jaw goes slack. Not because of the way Rylan just spoke to Burke—I’ve known her since we went to high school together, and she’s always been ballsy—but because of Burke’s reaction to her taunting words. In my entire life, I’ve never heard anyone other than Kai, Paisley, or me talk that way to Burke. I wouldn’t have imagined he’d take it so well. Yet here he is, cracking up, overly amused in the way she goes tit for tat.

“Callen did good, I see. I’m glad,” Burke says when he finally composes himself.

“I was desperate for your approval about our relationship. Thank you, Burke.” Rylan’s tone is chock-full of sarcasm, but she’s giving Burke a glowing smile at the same time.

Callen Bailer, even more intimidating than I remember, stalks into the room, shirtless. If I wasn’t so devastatingly in love, I might have a hard time keeping my eyes off him. It’s no secret around this town that Rylan has been through a lot, and when I originally helped her find Callen, I was a little worried for her, but I see now that there was no reason for my stress. Those two are perfect for one another.

“Quit shit-talking and get your ass over here, Rylan. I have plans for you and that cop uniform.” Callen’s attention is zeroed in on Rylan, not giving Burke or me even a glance.

“Sounds fun. Care to fill me in?”

“Do you want to take charge in your sexy uniform or what? Let’s go.” Callen walks off to a room in the back, and Rylan goes to follow but then turns to me.

“Thank you for sending me to him. I couldn’t have asked for anything to work out more perfectly. Anytime you guys need help with your crazy plans, we’re here. I have got your back, Teagan.” Without giving me a chance to respond, she flees. Rylan pulls at the handcuffs strapped to her belt as she follows in the same direction that Callen went.

“Now what?” I ask as I collapse on the tiny and extremely uncomfortable couch.

“We wait.” Burke drops down beside me and stretches his arm over the back of the seat.

“Wait for what?” I ask, unsettled.

“We wait for Callen and Rylan to track him down.”

When Smith surfaces, with a false sense of security, he’s going to die.